Valentine's Day
by HughSoSexy
Summary: A little teasing, and eventually a lot of honesty. Multi-chapter. Will be rated M eventually.  Yes, I know - Valentine's Day is no where to be found at this time of year. Humor me...
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I started writing this before Valentine's Day and I had every intention of finishing it before then, and then I obviously didn't! So here it is now. I know it's almost 3 months late, but it's never too late for a little Callian lovin'!

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><p>"You're lookin' very pink today," Cal said as he walked into Gillian's office.<p>

Smiling up at him she said, "Of course! It's Valentine's Day! I see that you chose not to deviate from your typical wardrobe of black t-shirts and jeans."

"What's wrong with my clothes?" he protested.

"Nothing!" She quickly said. Then, with one side of her lip slightly raised she added, "It's just a little drab."

"Drab? Well that's just hurtful, Foster. Besides, you wear enough color for the both of us," he replied, motioning toward her very-pink dress. He didn't mind the color, and he certainly didn't mind the fit. It was just fun to tease her, like always.

"You got a hot date you're dressin' for? Or are you really just wearing that 'cause of the day?" he asked.

Pursing her lips at him she said, "Just because of the day. You?"

"As you said, I dress like this all the time," he said flatly.

"So no date then?" she said with a smirk.

"On the contrary, actually. I _do_ have a hot date tonight," he told her as he returned her smirk.

Raising her eyebrows in surprise as she felt disappointment carving out its place in her chest, she said, "Well I hope you'll be wearing something other than that." She pointed her finger at him and flicked it up and down, motioning toward the entirety of his outfit.

"Again – hurtful!" he told her as he turned on his heel and walked out of her office.

Looking down at the papers in front of her, she rolled her eyes around the room before focusing on her couch and wondering who he was going out with.

###############

After finishing lunch and just as she was re-focusing on her work, there was a knock at Gillian's door. She looked up to see Anna standing in front of a man wearing some sort of uniform.

"This gentleman has something for you, Dr. Foster," Anna informed her. She then stepped aside to let the man in Gillian's office, and headed back to her desk at the front of the building.

"How can I help you?" Gillian asked as she cleaned her desk off while he stepped inside.

"I just need you to sign for these please," he informed her, waiting for her to finish busying herself with straightening her things.

Looking back up at him, she saw he was holding a large vase full of long-stem red roses mixed with pink lilies whose petals were trimmed in white. The arrangement was absolutely beautiful.

With her eyes wide and mouth dropped open, the man chuckled at her response. "Where would you like them?" he asked, his amusement evident.

"Over there please," she said, indicating for him to set them on the table by the couch.

She immediately walked over and saw there was a card nestled among the flowers.

"Sign here please," he said as he handed her his phone with a blank screen on it.

_Amazing_, she thought as she signed, both thinking of the flowers and the fact that he could apparently track his deliveries on his phone.

"You weren't expecting these I take it," he said as she handed the phone back to him, noting he was muscular and very attractive.

"No, I wasn't," she said truthfully.

He simply smiled, thinking someone like her shouldn't be alone on Valentine's Day, and said to her, "Happy Valentine's Day, Dr. Foster. Hopefully there's some good news in that card." He gave her one more big smile before walking out of her office, and she thought, _Now why can't I find a guy like that?_

Sighing to herself, she turned back toward the flowers and started beaming. _Maybe I have…_, she thought as she walked toward the table. Gently pulling the card from the vase so as not to disturb the stunning arrangement, she sat down on the couch and opened the envelope. It was blank on the outside, and the message inside was typed out:

_Sanchez tonight at 7:00_

She flipped the card over, looking to see if there was something else, but that was it. She stared at the card with a blank face for what felt like a very long time until Ria came in.

"Wow!" she said. "Who are those from?"

"I have no idea," Gillian said, her eyes still on the card.

Ria walked over to her, wanting to look at the card, but knowing she better wait for an invitation. Gillian handed it to her eventually, finally looking up at her and saying, "There's no name."

"Sanchez. That's a nice restaurant," Ria said.

"I've never been there," Gillian replied.

"They have tapas. It's a lot of fun! They're like a bunch of appetizers and you order several different things to make a meal. Or you can share." She added the last statement with a teasing smile.

"Thank you for the information, Ria," Gillian replied in a less than impressed tone.

"It's a classy place, so definitely dress up," she added before saying, "We need you over in the lab. Do you have a couple minutes?

"Sure," she said, taking the card back and putting it in her desk before leaving.

Eli and Cal were already waiting in the lab when the women arrived. As soon as he saw the more attractive of his two bosses, Eli asked, "What's got you all flustered?"

Ria raised her eyebrows and continued to her chair as Gillian glared at Eli.

"Your cheeks match your dress," he stated, letting her know there was evidence that she was clearly flustered about something.

Cal leaned around to get a better look at Gillian's face and said, "He's right for once!"

"Hey!" Eli shouted. "I've been right plenty of times."

"Yeah, yeah," Cal brushed him off. "This isn't about you. It's about your not-so-brilliant-but-painfully-obviously observation. Let's have it, Gill."

When she didn't answer right away, Ria jumped in. "She's got a date tonight."

"Ria!" Gillian yelled at her. "That's the last time I tell you anything personal!"

Ria just smiled at her. It was all too obvious to most everyone in the office that she and Cal were one step away from a full-blown relationship, and it was fun to see them both jealous.

"You told me earlier you didn't have a date this evening," Cal said, amused at just how pink Gillian's cheeks were.

Standing tall she said, "Well I didn't until fifteen minutes ago."

"Is that right? Anyone I know?" he asked.

"Can we just get on with the case please?" she said in an effort to re-direct the conversation.

"Come oooon. Tell us!" Eli prodded.

"The card wasn't signed," Ria chimed in.

"Seriously, Torres!" Gillian shouted.

With that, Ria put her head down. She'd gone from Ria to Torres in the span of thirty seconds, and that was all the warning she needed.

"Oh!" Cal said, pulling his lips into an 'o' shape. "A blind date, huh? So some random card just arrived?"

"It came with flowers. I don't even know if I'm going," she said quietly as she looked in his eyes, begging him to stop talking about it.

"Why not?" he asked, ignoring her silent plea. "You said yourself you had nothin' planned. Might be fun!" When she didn't respond he said, "Did he give you an address to a hotel room or somethin'?"

"No, Cal, he did not. It said to meet at Sanchez," she told him, figuring fighting it at this point was futile.

"So what's the harm? It's a public place, and surely busy on a mushy, fluffy holiday like this one. Better than sittin' home alone. Unless those flowers are from Loker. Then stay home."

"Why does he hate me so much?" Eli asked Ria quietly with disbelief.

Laughing at him she said, "Because it's so easy!"

"Let me know when you're all ready to work, ok?" she said, aiming her question at all three of them. "Until then, I'm going to back to my office."

"No, no. Stay," Cal said.

"Pull up the video," Gillian instructed as she rolled her eyes.

###############

Just before leaving for the evening, Cal stopped by Gillian's office again.

"Those are quite beautiful," he said as he looked at her flowers.

"Yes, they are," she responded as she followed his gaze to the flowers.

"Decide if you're goin' yet?" he wondered allowed.

"I don't know. I mean, what if it's some creep?" she said with her face all scrunched up.

"Say you have to go to the ladies' room and ditch him," he responded easily.

She nodded her head in agreement, thinking that was a reasonable plan. She had, after all, done it to several creeps in college.

"What if it's Dave?" she asked as she looked at her hands. She slowly looked up at Cal when he didn't answer her.

He walked over and sat on her couch, and then said, "He'd have to be a fool to come back to DC, darlin'."

She bit her lip and shook her head, knowing it was a pointless question.

"But people do foolish things for love," he added.

She looked up at him, surprise in her eyes.

"Still…" He wanted to tell her not to get her hopes up, not to allow herself to be so sure it was him that her heart would be broken if it wasn't him.

"It's not him. I know that," she said. Then looking at him she added, "But that would be something, wouldn't it?"

"Sure would, love," he agreed with her.

Nodding at him, she said, "Well, you have a date to get ready for, and I'm curious enough about this that I suppose I do as well."

Cal stood from her couch and said, "Gotta get my coat. Wait for me?"

"Sure. I have to gather my things anyway. I'll see you in a minute."

After putting her coat on, Gillian bent down to smell her flowers before heading out, noting that her office had taken on the lovely smell.

"You gonna take 'em home?" Cal asked when he walked by again.

"No. I'm here most of the day anyway, so I'll be able to enjoy them more here," she said with a small smile.

"Alright," he replied as he held his arm out for her to walk by.

Once in the hallway, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and asked, "What you wearing tonight?"

"Wouldn't you like to know!" she responded.

"Yes I would. That's why I asked." Then, he stopped her in the middle of the hallway, stood in front of her and said, "Let me guess – a red dress. 'Cause it's Valentine's Day and you've already worn pink." He raised his eyebrows at her in question.

She simply walked around him and he said, "I'm right!" with victory.

"Maybe you are, and maybe you're not. You'll never know," she said, almost gloating.

"Shame too," he told her as they got in the elevator. "I quite like you in red."

She simply shook her head as she looked at the elevator door, a small smile playing on her lips.

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><p>I have a lot more of this written, but this seemed like a good breaking point. I'll post more soon. : )<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks for the reviews. I love them all! : )

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><p>Gillian walked in to Sanchez wearing an elegant red dress that ended slightly above her knees and showed just enough cleavage to allow her to feel sexy without looking trashy. She nervously played with her clutch as she walked up to the hostess, not exactly sure how to explain her situation.<p>

"Hi. This is going to sound really strange, but I'm meeting someone here and I don't… Well I don't know what name the reservation is under," she explained, trying to stay away from the fact that she was on a blind date.

"Are you Gillian?" the blonde asked.

"I am," Gillian replied with surprise.

"I was expecting you! Right this way," she said as she led Gillian to her table. "I showed him your table earlier today, so he knows to look for you here, and he picked out a bottle of wine so your server will be over in a minute."

"Thank you," Gillian said with even more surprise than before. Whoever it was went through a lot of trouble to set this up!

After she got her glass of wine, she settled into her chair and started people watching, looking for any familiar faces headed her way. After a few minutes, she finally spotted one.

"What are you doing here?" she asked with disbelief.

"I wanted to see if I was right, and I was. Red," he said, gloating.

Looking at him blankly she said, "Seriously, Cal. Why are you here?"

"I'm meetin' my date here," he replied with a cheeky grin.

"Here. Of all the places you could have gone, you chose to bring her to the same restaurant you knew I'd be at?"

"Good food!" he defended himself with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Mmm. Well don't you think you should be sitting at a table waiting for her, instead of sitting at mine and potentially scaring away my date?" she asked with a progressively louder tone as he sat down.

He looked around, considering her words. "Do you see anyone here you'd like to have dinner with? 'Cause I sure don't see anyone that looks to be worth your while. I'll just keep this seat warm, and if he's man enough he'll ask me to leave."

She opened her mouth to protest, but she didn't have the opportunity since Cal grabbed a passing waitress by the arm and ordered himself a drink.

Gillian widened her eyes in surprise and then said, "He'll be taking that to a different table!" She looked at him incredulously, then said, "You can stay here until your drink arrives, then you are leaving my table."

"Fair enough," he responded as he settled into his chair.

After several minutes of talking, Cal's drink arrived and Gillian looked at a clock on the wall. She noted it was 7:20, and she sighed as she shook her head to herself.

"What's wrong, love?" Cal inquired.

"What time was your date supposed to be here?"

"We finally decided on seven," he said.

"Well, it's twenty after seven, and neither you nor I have a date. It's very possible that you scared mine away, but it looks as though we've both been stood up."

He considered her words for a moment, then simply said, "I wasn't actually."

Very confused, Gillian furrowed her brow and said, "What do you mean?"

"She's here," he said as he looked around. "I saw her walk in."

"So where is she?" Gillian asked, thinking he was feeding her a long line of lies. _He never even had a date,_ she thought. _He just showed up to ruin mine._

Cal gave her a small smile and said, "You're lookin' at her."

Gillian looked over his shoulder with a puzzled look on her face. When she didn't see a single woman by herself, she turned her eyes back to Cal, waiting for a further response.

"Or, rather, I'm lookin' at her," he said.

Gillian looked at him sideways, then turned in her chair to look behind her, thinking he was looking at someone over her shoulder and perhaps the woman had walked past while she was looking behind him. When she didn't see anything but a handful of couples, she turned back in her chair. Focusing on his eyes, Gillian saw he was looking back at _her_.

The question dropped from her face as surprise took over, her eyebrows raising as her lips parted and her eyes went wide.

After sitting in silence for a moment, she narrowed her eyes at him and let her brain process the information. "Why didn't you just tell me you wanted to go out to dinner?"

"I didn't want to go out to dinner," he told her, earning a very perplexed look from Gillian. "I wanted to go on a date," he said, swallowing after he got the statement out while keeping his eyes glued to hers.

"Were you afraid I'd say no?" she asked, her heart beginning to beat a little faster. He kept his face neutral and didn't respond, so she said, "Because you didn't really give me the chance to say yes or no."

"Good point. And you were hopin' for Burns, so this may have backfired in my face royally." He ran a hand through his hair with his last statement.

"So you were afraid I'd say no," she said in answer to her question as she nodded to herself. "When were you going to tell me?"

"I don't know," he told her honestly.

"You were going to tell me though, right? I mean, you weren't going to just sit here across from me and let me think I'd been stood up, or that someone was playing a cruel joke?" The question burned in her throat. She knew Cal had it in him to be that mean, but she hoped he wouldn't be that mean to her on purpose with no provocation. Her eyes danced across his face as she shifted in her chair.

"No. 'Course I woulda told you, eventually."

"When?" she asked again.

He shrugged. "Don't know. You were practically dyin' on the inside, hopin' it was Burns…" he trailed off, leaving her to fill in the blanks as he fiddled with the napkin his drink sat on.

"So… What? You felt inadequate? Like I'd be disappointed?" she questioned as she shook her head to herself.

"Maybe," he answered her truthfully.

She considered his answer as she watched a couple walk in and be seated at a table in the corner opposite them. She watched how the man lovingly looked at the woman he was with, and she wondered why that was so hard to find.

"Well I think that's ridiculous," she finally said as she picked up her drink and took a sip, sitting a little taller.

He shot her an irritated look, tipping his head to the side and thinking it was not very shrink-like to tell someone that their feelings were ridiculous, especially when the person she was talking to had a habit of keeping his feelings bottled up.

"Is that right?" he finally asked, feeling offended.

"Mmhmm," she murmured and nodded.

"Mind enlightenin' me? 'Cause as far as I could see, you were in love with that bloke, and you were hopin' he'd show up tonight. Now tell me how I'm not justified in my thinkin'."

"Because he's gone, Cal," she said to him in a matter-of-fact tone with a shrug of one shoulder. "You said it yourself, he'd have to be a fool to come back to DC."

"I also said that people do foolish things for love," he reminded her.

_Like asking people out on a date without really asking them?_, she wondered.

Leaning forward on the table she asked him, "What's the most foolish thing you've done lately?"

"Have you forgotten who you're talkin' to? I do foolish things every day," he deflected.

"For love," she clarified while looking in his eyes.

_Spent $200 on flowers_, he thought. He then started to wonder how to really answer this question. She'd backed him into a corner.

"Can't say I remember," he lied. "You?"

"Showing up here!" she easily answered with a wave of her hand. "I had no idea what I was going to find, but I found you, not looking so drab I might add."

"Glad you noticed," he said so honestly it made her heart melt.

"Of course I did," she sweetly replied while she sat back in her chair. "How could I ever miss that pop of color on you?" she added as she looked at his red dress shirt, perfectly broken up by his jet black tie and suit coat. Then looking back up at him she said, "We match. Is that why you were asking what I was wearing?"

"I just wanted to know, but it did help me pick out my shirt," he responded as he smoothed his hand over his tie. "Do you still wanna eat?" he asked.

Raising her eyebrows she asked, "Are you giving me the opportunity to say no?"

Chuckling to himself he said, "I guess I am." He felt his spirits fall a little. He knew she'd never tell him to leave and he knew she wouldn't get up and leave him there alone, but he would be able to tell if she didn't want to be there, if she wasn't happy to be with him.

She smiled at how unsure of himself he looked. She'd never seen him quite like this before. She couldn't deny he looked incredibly good in his suit, even if it was black. He'd worn a red shirt to match her dress, and she found that incredibly endearing. She then thought back to the flowers in her office, and she wondered how long he'd sat online trying to decide what to get.

"Did you pick out those flowers?" she asked him.

"I did," he confirmed.

"They're beautiful," she told him with a nod. "And my office will smell really good tomorrow," she added with a bright smile.

As he wished she had a smile like that on her face all the time, he replied, "I know you love lilies."

His face was honest and vulnerable, something Gillian rarely saw in him. Taking a deep breath, she slowly stood up from her chair, and Cal's face fell. He swallowed and put his mask back on as she pushed her chair in. She walked to his side and stopped, causing him to close his eyes momentarily. He opened them again when he heard the chair next to him being pulled out. She sat next to him and he couldn't help the surprise on his face. She smiled again, amused that he'd apparently thought she was leaving.

She sat sideways on the chair so her legs were at his side and she hooked her foot around the leg of his chair when she crossed her legs. Resting her arm on the table so she was leaning toward him, she asked, "Would it be fair to say this," she motioned toward the restaurant, indicating she was referring to the whole situation, "is the most foolish thing you've done lately?"

Leaning on the table so his face was within inches of hers he said, "That would be fair."

She nodded, and waited for his eyes to come back to hers from her mouth. Once they did, she stated, "I guess we've both done foolish things today."

Neither of them spoke for a moment and Cal couldn't help but feel like she wasn't happy to be there with him.

She saw his eyes glass over slightly as he pulled away from her and leaned back far into his chair. She placed a hand on his arm, causing him to shift his weight and look in her eyes.

"I'm glad you're here. I'm glad it was you." The look in his eyes said he didn't believe her. "I couldn't have handled seeing Dave. He couldn't have stayed, so it would have been nothing more than me spending time with someone I can't have." _Not really a lot different than this evening is turning out anyway…_ "I can't believe you didn't give me a chance to say no though," she added with a teasing smile as she playfully shoved his arm.

Appreciating that she was trying to make him feel comfortable, but feeling like she wasn't taking this as seriously as he'd hoped, he leaned back in to her even more closely than before and asked, "Will you go on a date with me?"

Half smiling at him as she felt his breath against her skin, she said, "Where do you want to take me?"

_To bed_, he said to himself. "Sanchez."

She smiled widely at him and said a simple, "Yes."

He returned her smile with one of his own, one of the rare ones that only a few people were privileged enough to experience.

Leaning in, he placed a quick kiss on her cheek and said, "Great. Let's order!"

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><p>Not really a big surprise that it was Cal, right? ; ) More to come in a day or two.<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Before we get on with the story, I just have to say, What the F*CK FOX? No one in their right mind would end a show with one of their leads grieving and crying and the other lead, who hardly ever expresses any kind of feeling, FINALLY admitting he loves previously mentioned lead. JERKS! And again I repeat, no one in their right mind. So, clearly, Fox and it's associates need to be committed because they are bat shit crazy. And that is my rant. Oh, one more thing - I have this story and 2 more that are 80% finished that haven't been posted, not to mention a couple that were posted a long time ago that still need finishing. So, as long as people will read, I will still write. Just sayin'. Now for the real a/n:

I, for one, don't really find dinner all that interesting. I like eating it, but I don't like writing about people eating it, so we're jumping forward to after dinner.

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><p>"Where'd you park?" he asked her as they walked out onto the sidewalk.<p>

"I took a cab. I didn't want to deal with the traffic," she replied while looking over at him. She kept thinking how damn handsome he was in that suit. "You?"

"Took a cab too. Wanna share one?" he asked.

"Sure," she said, happy to be having some more time with him.

Cal hailed a cab and opened the door for Gillian, waiting for her to scoot across the seat before he climbed in after her. He gave the driver her address and they settled into a comfortable silence for the ride. Nothing Gillian could think to say seemed appropriate to talk about with a third person present, and neutral subjects like work just felt forced. What she ended up thinking about was the odd distance Cal was keeping from her. He hadn't touched her once since they left the restaurant, not even accidentally, and she found it a little unnerving.

As they pulled up to her home, Cal quickly got out and helped Gillian from her side of the taxi. When she got out, she ended up standing mere inches from Cal's body and she felt instantly warm as he looked back at her. Giving her a classic Cal smile, he moved aside to allow her some room to walk past.

Sticking his head in door, he said, "Hold on a minute, mate." The driver said he would wait, but to make it fast, something about there being a lot of drunk chicks that needed rides home after being left heartbroken and used. Cal just closed the door and headed up the walkway after Gillian.

He caught up to her as she reached her front door and she looked over his shoulder to find the taxi still waiting. She felt a tinge of disappointment and asked, "Do you want to come in for a drink?"

"Think I've had enough," he replied, thinking he wanted to be lucid for the rest of the night. He didn't want to take a chance on being drunk and not remembering or knowing if anything that had happened this evening was real or not.

Feeling even more disappointment that he'd just turned her down, she said, "Ok," and turned back to unlock her door.

Since he'd received an invitation to come in, Cal ran back down the walkway to pay the driver. He gave him a really good tip for waiting on such an apparently lucrative night, and thanked him again.

When she opened her door, she turned around to say good night to Cal and found he was already headed back to the cab. Feeling hurt, further disappointed and confused, she went inside and closed the door. She leaned up against it and stood there wondering what had happened. Things seemed to be going well… _Maybe it was the silence on the way here? Maybe all that time allowed him to clear his mind and think about what he was doing._

After thanking the cab driver, Cal turned around to see Gillian was gone. Her entry light was on, and she had gone inside without so much as a 'good night'. Seeing the cab was as good as gone, he made his way back up the walkway, and hesitantly knocked on the door.

Gillian jumped when she heard the knock just behind her ear. She opened the door to find Cal looking back at her, and she raised her eyebrows in question.

"Don't I even get a good night?" he asked, throwing his arms out in defeat. After flowers and dinner, not to mention dressing up in a damn suit, he didn't think a simple good night was too much to ask. He had no expectations of her beyond a little common courtesy.

"Where did the cab go?" she asked.

"To do more cabbie things," he replied.

"I thought you were leaving," she said, and it came out more harshly than she'd wanted.

Feeling as though she'd just slapped him across the face, he said, "Well, I can. I'll call another cab-"

"No," she cut him off, wanting to clarify. "I mean, I thought you said you didn't want to come in, so you were leaving."

"I didn't say I didn't wanna come in. I said I'd had enough to drink," he explained.

Knowing she'd over-reacted, she brushed a stray lock of hair from her face and said, "I'm sorry. I misunderstood what you were saying."

"No need to apologize, love. I can still go though if you like," he offered, wanting nothing more than for the evening to end on a positive note.

She shook her head, putting her hand on his shoulder and running it down his arm to his wrist. It felt so good to finally touch him again. "Stay." She gave his hand a squeeze with her request which he returned. She took her hand back and kicked off her shoes, dropping a good two and a half inches to the floor and her natural height. "I'm going to make some tea. Would you like some?" she asked as she walked toward her kitchen.

"Sure," he replied as he watched her walk away while he toed off his shoes and hung up his jacket and suit coat. This was the first opportunity he'd had all night to really take her in, and if her dress looked that good from the back he could only imagine what the front looked like.

After starting the water on the stove, she reached for the tea and honey in the cupboard and yelled to him, "Honey?"

"What, love?" he asked as he walked in the kitchen.

Gillian stopped what she was doing as Cal's response sunk in. He wasn't asking what she'd said. The nuance of his question implied he thought she called him honey.

Turning around with the honey in hand she again said, "Honey?"

"Oh, I'd love some," he responded to her, masterfully hiding his amusement at her surprise.

Setting the jar down as she bit her lip, she walked toward him and her hands instantly went to his tie. He watched her face as she made quick work of loosening it and then unbuttoning the top two buttons.

"There," she said. "That looks much more comfortable."

She looked up from his neck line and now loosened tie to see him looking at her. She felt like his eyes could pin her to the wall with their intensity, and she fought the urge to swallow. She failed, but she put up a good fight.

She still had her hands at the end of his tie when he encased them with his own. He pulled her the extra foot toward him and wrapped an arm around her waist as he felt her hands lay flat across his ribs. Feeling like she was in a position to push him away if she chose to, he leaned into her and instead of aiming for her lips, he kissed the corner of her mouth so sweetly she couldn't handle it.

She slid a hand up his body and wrapped it around his neck, her fingers burning their mark on his skin. Pulling him toward her, she gently pressed her lips against his, and then opened her eyes to him as she pulled away. He was about to kiss her again when the kettle on the stove signaled the water was ready.

Releasing his hold on her, he allowed her to walk away from him, and she asked him with a smile in her voice, "Are you ready for some, honey?"

"Ready for some what?" he asked as he walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her flat stomach.

Her breath hitched at the full contact of his body and his hot breath on her ear. She was certainly ready for something other than tea, but she said, "Tea of course." Then turning in his arms she said just above a whisper, "What else would I be talking about?"

Cal licked his lips and said, "Let's get on with the tea then."

Gillian grinned at him, thinking he sounded quite impatient to get the tea out of the way. Handing him a cup, she squeezed past him and sat at the table. She waited for him to follow her, and he eventually did after taking a sip of his tea and nodding approvingly.

As he sat, she held the cup close to her face, taking in the smell and feeling the steam against her face. She looked over at him, admiring once again how handsome he was in his red shirt; and she had to admit to herself that he was even sexier with his tie loosened and his buttons undone.

"You really should wear color more often. You look good in red," she said as she brought the cup to her lips.

"Oh yeah?" he said as he smirked at her. "There you go callin' me sexy again."

She looked at him sideways, hiding a smile behind her cup while she took in the confidence in his eyes that finally seemed to be returning.

"Don't you think people would wonder 'bout me walkin' in wearin' a red shirt? It's quite out of character for me," he said.

"And yet here you are wearing a red shirt," she defended her idea.

"This is not an ordinary day," he responded.

"Why not? It's not really different than any other day," she said with a shrug.

Cal gasped at her response, playfully mocking her, and said, "What? It's _Valentine's Day_! It's the mushiest day of the year! And you think it's _just_ an ordinary day? Foster… What has come over you?" He feigned shock as he waited for her response.

Laughing at him she said, "Let me clarify: It's an ordinary day for _you_."

"Not at all, love," he told her honestly, earning a disbelieving look from her. "At least not this year. There's nothin' ordinary 'bout me orderin' flowers or trickin' you into goin' on a date with me." _Never mind kissin' you…_

"Mm," she hummed, "I guess that does warrant a red shirt."

She finished her tea then stood to take her cup to the sink. As she washed it out she asked, "Do you see any more vibrantly colored shirts in your future?"

Cal swallowed the last of his tea, feeling it slightly burn his throat on the way down, and brought his cup to the sink as well. He watched the side of her face, as she took his cup and washed it out.

"I hope so," he told her truthfully, knowing she was not talking about the actual shirts but rather days that deserved them. "Though maybe I can start wearin' brightly colored underwear instead. I quite like my black shirts."

Raising an eyebrow, she looked at him and said, "Well how is that going to help? No one sees your underwear." She had a twinkle in her eye that Cal couldn't ignore.

"No one?" he asked, tipping his head to the side.

"Mm mm," she replied as she shook her head. "For all I know, you could be wearing matching red underwear right now."

Licking his lips, Cal replied, "So could you."

With a smirk playing at her lips she said, "Maybe, but we're not talking about me; and I'm not afraid of color like you are."

"I am not afraid of it!" he countered. "But I assure you, my underwear is _not_ red."

"No?" she asked. Then, pursing her lips, she added, "Well that's too bad."

With a look of mock disappointment on her face, she started to walk away from him, but he grabbed her wrist and stopped her in her tracks.

"Why is that?" he asked, maintaining his hold. "Did you have plans of checkin' out my underwear?"

"Cal… What kind of girl do you take me for? This is a first date!" she said, her tone of voice signaling that was a preposterous idea. He didn't miss the slight darkening of her eyes though.

"I sorta thought we'd been datin' for years, Gill," he said quietly to her as he walked his hands up her arm, one after the other. When he reached her elbow, he let go and pinned her on her spot with his eyes.

"Not with the same intent," she responded. She was keeping her cool on the outside, but her insides were starting to spin.

"What's the intent?" he asked, looking in her eyes and marveling at how they were shimmering.

"You tell me. You're the one who asked me out," she said without ever taking her eyes off him.

Relaxing his shoulders and taking on his classic Cal stance, he said, "We've been dancin' 'round this for a while, haven't we?"

She nodded in agreement.

"My intent, Gillian…" he paused, feeling his heartbeat climb incredibly fast to the point of feeling like his chest was going to burst. Picking up where he left off he said, "Is to move forward."

She tipped her head to the side in question and pulled her brow slightly together.

"We've been stuck in this place, just outside the lines of a relationship, for a long time. A _long_ time," he repeated himself for emphasis. "And I'm tired of standin' outside this self-created line of ours. I want in."

Feeling joy bubble within her and every part of her body tingling, she stepped into him and pressed her lips against his.

"Is that a yes, then?" he asked when she pulled away.

"You couldn't tell?" she asked.

He shook his head no and she stepped into him further, pushing her body into his as she wrapped her arms around his neck, causing him to stumble backwards while searching for something solid with his hands.

In the process, her lips found his again, and she slid her tongue over them indicating she wanted inside. He parted his lips and her tongue instantly dashed inside, searching for his. Once Cal finally found the counter behind him, he wrapped his arms around her, laying his hands flat against her back and pulling her into him even more. When they finally felt the urge to breathe, they parted and she pulled her head back to look at him.

"Was that more clear?" she asked breathlessly.

"Yeah," he muttered as he glued his eyes to her lips.

Grabbing her waist, he turned her around so her back was to the counter and kissed her so deeply she felt her knees go weak and she thought she was going to melt into the counter. He continued his kiss, holding her up when he felt her go limp, and he smiled at her when they parted, pleased with himself for the effect he had on her.

Finally finding her words and once again standing on her own two feet, she said, "I'd say you can consider yourself 'in'."

Reaching up to tuck her hair behind her ear, he ran his finger over her cheek as he gave her a sweet smile. "You're so beautiful." His eyes flickered over her face and down her neck, following her collarbone across her chest. Wanting to look lower but not wanting to push his luck, he dragged his eyes back up to hers.

Gillian reached for his waistband and untucked his shirt all the way around as Cal watched her with interest. She curled her fingers just inside the top of his pants, feeling his stomach against her skin. She bit her bottom lip as she looked up at him, somewhat nervous to see his reaction.

What she found was an oddly relaxed looking Cal. He put his hands on her shoulders and said, "We don't have to do this if you don't want to, Gill."

She nodded at him and said, "I know, and I want to."

His eyes flitted across her face, taking in every piece of information she involuntarily gave off, and said, "You sure?"

She simply nodded at him again.

He slid his hands down her bare arms to her hands and added, "Gillian, I don't wanna rush this. And I definitely don't wanna do anythin' you're gonna regret."

Looking at him confidently she said, "If you leave here tonight, I will regret that. I don't care what we do or don't do, but if you're not here in the morning, I will really regret that."

Giving her a small smile and still not feeling completely comfortable with moving forward, he replied, "Ok."

After a lull in conversation, and feeling as though the mood had been killed, Gillian asked, "Do you want me to see if I can find some clothes that fit you? I know you're dying to get out of that suit."

"You're right, I am," he admitted.

"Ok," she chuckled as she moved past him in search for some clothes that would fit him.

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><p>Oh Cal... Now look what you've done! Don't worry though, he'll find his mojo soon. ; )<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Please note the updated rating. ; )

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><p>Cal immediately regretted letting her leave. As he turned around he caught a glimpse of her perfectly formed ass just before she walked around the corner. He inhaled deeply and wondered why the hell he was still standing there when she was obviously headed toward her bedroom.<p>

When he walked in, she was already in her closet. The lamp on her nightstand was on and the room was otherwise dark. He stood in the doorway for a moment, contemplating his next move and wondering if he should go for it or not. She apparently didn't have too much trouble finding something for him to wear because she came back out just a minute later.

She was a little surprised to see him standing there, but not really. She probably would have been more surprised had he not followed her, and a small smile played on her lips as she walked toward him.

"Found somethin' for me?" he asked.

"I did! I think these will fit," she said as she held out a t-shirt and a pair of over-sized sweatpants.

"Alright," he responded as he undid his tie further and slipped it over his head, setting it on the dresser next to him.

Gillian felt her stomach flip when he started on the rest of his buttons, and she lowered her hand with the clothes to her side. Despite the relative darkness in the room, her eyes followed his fingers all the way down his shirt as more and more of his torso was revealed. All the while he kept his eyes glued to her face. She caught herself staring when he let his hands hang at his sides.

She looked up to see him watching her and said, "Uhm, here." She walked closer to him, once again holding out the clothes for him to take as blush rose in her cheeks. She was immediately thankful she hadn't turned on the main light in her room, though it would have definitely made for a better view of his little show.

He shrugged the shirt off his shoulders, and took hold of each of the cuffs to remove his arms as well. Holding up the red shirt on his index finger he wondered aloud, "What should I do with this?"

Swallowing and feeling herself growing oddly warm, Gillian said, "I'll take it." She quickly walked back toward her closet to get a hanger so the shirt wouldn't get wrinkled, realizing once she entered that she had taken his new clothes with her. She silently scolded herself for getting so flustered at the sight of his half-naked body, and exited the closet to find Cal working on his belt.

"I took your clothes with me," she said, this time deciding to set them down on the end of the bed so they were no longer in her possession. Her brain was apparently turning to mush, and Cal taking off his belt was doing nothing to help her.

"So you did," he replied, still slowly pulling his belt out of each loop. "Are you gonna change?"

She stared at him for a moment and said, "Yes. I suppose I should." She turned to head back to her closet yet again.

"Need me to unzip you?" Cal asked, stopping her in her tracks.

Without turning around to look at him and feeling her heart rate go through the roof, she said, "That would make it a little easier."

She heard his footsteps come toward her, causing her stomach flip, and then she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder, letting her know he was close. She closed her eyes at his touch and gathered her hair into one hand and held it out of the way so he could see the zipper. He curled the fingers of one hand inside the top of her dress, and slowly pulled the zipper down with the other. It took everything within Gillian's power to maintain level breathing, and a shiver ran down her spine when she felt the air of the room hit her newly exposed skin.

Midway down her back as the red fabric of her dress parted, Cal saw another strip of red going across her back and something in him stirred. She felt her heart skip a beat when he hesitated on the zipper, knowing he now knew what color bra she was wearing.

He finished pulling the zipper down to where it ended, just above her panties. He silently cursed the maker of the dress for not making the zipper a little longer.

Holding the dress in place with both hands, Gillian quietly thanked him and stepped into her closet and out of his view. She stood there for a moment, not doing anything but pulling herself together. As she tried to decide what to do – change her clothes and walk back out, or never leave her closet again – she realized two things: she could see the clothes she'd given him still sitting on the end of the bed, and she was extremely aroused.

Knowing that Cal was still standing in her bedroom shirtless, she dropped the dress around her ankles and stepped out, leaving the pool of red on the floor to be dealt with later. Hesitating for only a split-second, she slowly walked back out of the closet and was met with one pair of appreciative and slightly surprised eyes.

"You need more help?" Cal asked as his eyebrows shot up, tipping his head to the side and keeping his eyes only on her face despite the strong urge to take all of her in.

Walking toward him, she said, "No. But I thought maybe you did since your clothes are still on the bed and you've had ample time to change."

Cal noticed that she was maintaining her perfect posture, and he had never been so thankful for good posture or had such an urge to check out a woman.

She stopped short of him, so he finished closing the gap, somehow managing to keep his hands to himself. Her face was confident and a little nervous – a combination that left Cal wanting her so badly it hurt.

"You tell me to stop, and I will. Alright?" he asked her.

She nodded in agreement, excitement overtaking any normal thought.

He placed one hand on her hip, finally looking down at her body and fully appreciating just how amazingly beautiful she was as he noted with another stir from within that her panties matched her red bra. He slid his hand around her and laid it on her lower back as he leaned in to capture her lips. She immediately kissed him back which spurred him on. He placed his other hand on the side of her neck, his fingers curling around the soft flesh.

Using his hand to tip her head away from him, he worked his way from her lips, over her jaw, and down to her neck, earning a gasp from her when he lightly bit down. She brought a hand to his head and ran her fingers through his hair, encouraging him to continue what he was doing. Several more kisses down her neck had Gillian's chest rising and falling rapidly with anticipation of what he was going to do next.

Cal couldn't ignore the movement. He kissed his way down the center of her chest, all the way down to her bra, not having a chance or any desire to miss her breasts. Gillian whimpered softly at the contact and bit her lip as she watched him.

Bringing his face back up to her, he brushed his nose against hers then laid both hands on her hips, slowly pushing her backward toward the bed.

When the back of her legs hit the mattress she said, "Stop."

Cal froze. He stopped breathing. His fingers slightly curled into her skin, not wanting it to be over. He looked in her eyes, wondering what he had done wrong and how this was going to change everything between them.

And then he felt her hands on his pants, leaving him very confused.

"You still have your pants on," she explained as she flicked the button open, dropped the zipper, and pushed them down off his hips.

His grip on her hips tightened as he stepped out of them with one foot and threw them across the room with the other.

Seeing that he was still looking at her with an odd expression on his face, she smiled and said, "Continue."

"That, Gillian Foster, was very mean," he scolded, still feeling the aftereffects of thinking this was all the closer he would ever get to her.

Wrapping her arms around his neck she said, "I'm sorry," and then glancing down at the bulge in his boxers and noting the fabric was navy blue, she added, "It seems like you should be thanking me."

"If you hadn't scared the shit out of me, I probably would be. Bloody hell, Gill," he chided.

She moved her leg, brushing it against his newly semi-freed manhood, and he instantly re-focused. He playfully pushed her back on the bed and said, "You're gonna pay for that. Not right now, but I guarantee you, you will pay for that."

"That sounds like a threat, Cal," she teased with a playful glint in her eyes as she positioned herself on the bed.

"It is. I'm gonna take you right to the edge, to the very brink of makin' you cum," her eyes widened and darkened, "and then I'm gonna say stop."

Her nostrils flared as his words sunk in. She didn't really hear the threat, all she heard was a promise that he was going to do things to her – not this time but _another_ time – and her mind started racing with the possibilities.

Seeing that her mind had gone elsewhere, Cal smirked to himself, and brought his hand between her legs, shocking her and bringing her back to the present.

"You're already looking forward to your torture I see," he said as he lightly moved his fingers over her panties, feeling the wet seep through.

Gillian flushed as she felt herself grow wetter at his touch. She turned her face away from him, not liking that he was so far away or that she had no where to hide.

He leaned over, his face hovering over hers, and applied more pressure between her legs, causing her back to arch. When it did, he expertly slipped his free hand behind her and undid the clasp of her bra in one fluid move. Her eyes went wide when she felt the garment come undone, and she lay flat on the bed once again. Cal removed the hand that had been teasing her and gently removed the bra, slipping it off her arms as he pulled it down, then threw it over his shoulder with a hungry look as he watched the soft glow from the lamp wash over her body.

The moment he reached for her panties, she grabbed his hand and said, "Not unless you take yours off first."

He shrugged at her, shoved his boxers down over his hips, and kicked them aside. What she saw made her pulse race and her body tremble with excitement. She swallowed and licked her lips while trying not to stare.

Cal grinned and couldn't help feeling just a little proud for the reaction he'd elicited from her. If all he had to do was pull his pants down, she was in for the ride of her life.

"Now," he said, "if you don't mind…" He reached for her panties again and she lifted her hips ever so slightly so he could easily pull them down. He again threw them as far across the room as possible, all the while taking the opportunity to take in the view before him. He'd fantasized about Gillian more times than he could ever count, and not one of those fantasies lived up to the real thing. Gillian in the flesh was remarkable, and he felt himself harden at the realization.

He crawled on the bed to hover over her and she was instantly grateful that he was now within reach. She grabbed his neck and pulled him down to kiss him while his hands started roaming her body.

He ran one hand down her side; and as he reached her hip, she bent her leg and drew her foot toward herself, allowing his hand to follow the curve of her ass before trailing down her leg. Once finishing that path, he pulled his hand up to her chest and firmly but gently held her breast. Gillian gasped and moaned as his fingers teased her nipple, delicately pinching while his mouth found a spot on her neck that made her squirm.

Feeling her hips moving against his legs as he knelt over her, he stopped what he was doing to look in her eyes while he brought his hand back between her legs. He was leaning on his elbow next to her shoulder, so when his fingers grazed the bare skin of her folds he saw the instant dilation of her pupils, and when he applied a little more pressure he watched as her eyes rolled back and fluttered closed.

Only being egged on by the easiness of getting a reaction out of her, he dipped a finger into her and quietly muttered in her ear, "So wet."

He watched as she flushed from her cheeks clear down to her chest, and he pushed his finger in her as far as he could, making her eyes shoot open as she gasped from the feeling. After working his finger in her for a moment, he withdrew it completely, replacing it with two and causing Gillian to whimper.

He pushed himself up on his free arm and began pumping his fingers in and out of her. Gillian couldn't help but look at his arm that was doing all the work. She could see his muscles working with each thrust of his fingers, and she reached up to run her fingers over his bicep. As she did, he hit a certain spot that made her tense up every muscle in her body. She gripped his arm as he continued to work the spot, and she said, "Yes, right there," over and over again until he hit it perfectly one last time. He felt her clench around his fingers and he stilled inside her until she quit trembling.

Once she relaxed, he withdrew his fingers while looking in her eyes. He saw her eyes widen slightly as he brought his fingers to his mouth and then dragged them back out again, cleaning them off.

He licked his lips and smiled at the shocked look on her face.

"Never seen that before?" he asked her.

She simply shook her head no to which he replied, "Oh… I've got a lot to show you."

The smallest of lustful smiles played on her lips before she looked down between them to the now-throbbing length that hung above her.

Seeing her look down, Cal lifted one knee and put it between her legs, nudging her leg open, and then repeating with his other leg. Gillian's heart started beating with wild excitement as he lowered himself closer to her; and in the instant she felt his tip against her opening, her hands shot to his back, needing something to hold onto.

Cal's breathing became heavy as he realized a great number of his fantasies were moments away from coming true. Feeling the wetness of her opening nearly made his arms give out, but he managed to hold himself up as he re-centered his mind and brought his eyes back to hers.

Gillian looked at him in anticipation and he obliged, gently pressing into her, giving her time to adjust. He had always assumed there hadn't been anyone after Dave, and the feeling he was getting now confirmed that.

She dug her fingers into Cal's back as he slid inside and she muttered, "Oh shit," along with a number of other things Cal couldn't believe she was saying. Her breathing was erratic and her grip on him was near lethal.

"Alright, love?" he asked, feeling concerned that he was hurting her.

"I've never been better in my life," she said honestly as she exhaled. He readjusted one of his arms causing him to move within her slightly and she cursed, "Oh fuck."

He smiled at the expletives rolling off her tongue, and then slowly pulled half way out of her, causing her to curse again and mumble incomprehensible things under her breath.

Looking down at her and still feeling worried, he said, "Shit, Gill. You sure you're alright? You're really tight."

She breathlessly replied, "Cal, I feel really good. I have never felt this good, and as soon as you start moving, I guarantee I will have never felt that good."

Wanting to fulfill that guarantee for her, Cal began moving his hips at a slow but steady pace, and he let out a low groan as he felt her slick walls work against him.

After coming to grips with the amazing sensation, he quickened his pace, earning moans and whimpers from her as she writhed beneath him in pure pleasure. He leaned to one side causing her to lift up her knee which he put over his hip, giving him better access to her core.

Feeling him drive even deeper within her, Gillian grabbed the sheets as ecstasy washed over her. She opened her eyes to see him looking down at her and she was surprised at his question.

"Are you a missionary only kinda girl?"

He slowed his pace to allow her brain room to think.

"What?" she asked.

"I said, are you a missionary only kinda girl?" he punctuated his question with a deep thrust that made her arch her back as she cried out.

Cal had previously had something else on his mind, but the noise she'd just made caused him to forget his would-have-been proposition. He pulled out of her slowly and then deeply thrust into her again, eliciting a repeat performance of her back arching and crying out.

He did it a third time, this time moving her knee off his hip and putting it up over his shoulder. She threw her head back into the bed and screamed his name as he continued to thrust into her, having found a spot that drove her completely mad, and him too since his name was rolling off her tongue saturated in pure pleasure.

A few minutes later, he felt her walls start to close around him and he dropped her leg to the bed again, bracing himself on both arms to finish strong. No sooner did he adjust his position again did she fly over the edge in an orgasm more fiercely amazing than anything she'd ever experienced.

The added pressure of her orgasm sent Cal flying over the edge right behind her. He continued to slowly thrust into her several times as he rode the wave to its completion, making her moan and mumbled under her breath as he slid against her, lengthening her pleasure further.

Once he finally finished, he managed to hold himself up slightly, so he didn't crush her when he collapsed. Feeling his arms growing tired, he started to withdraw from her but he stopped when he felt her fingernails dig into his back. He moved his head so he could look at her. Her eyes were closed and she looked more relaxed than he'd ever seen her. He smiled at her, despite the pain in his back.

"That," Gillian began, "was the best sex of my entire life." She took a few more breaths and then finally opened her eyes to see Cal looking down at her. "And now you can move if you'd like," she added with a smile as she withdrew her nails from him, rubbing her hands over the spots she was sure were going to have marks.

Cal slowly pulled himself out and collapsed fully next to her with a groan of relief from finally being off his arms, and Gillian looked at him.

He turned his head and saw her sheepishly smiling at him and he reached out an arm, nodding his head for her to come closer. She bit her lip as she wiggled closer to him and snuggled into his side, resting her head on his shoulder. As she settled into him, carefully placing her hand on his chest, she sighed contentedly.

Cal turned his head toward her, laying his cheek against her forehead, and said, "I couldn't agree more."

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><p>This is currently all the further I've written. My original plan was to stop the story with this chapter, but I decided to cut it a little short since it ended up so much longer than all the rest. So, I'll add one more chapter. See you in a couple days!<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I am so, so sorry for the wait on this! Life very rudely got in the way of my writing. I broke my foot, which doesn't seem like it would hinder typing, but hopping around on crutches is exhausting! And then I got sick! I'm on the mend though and all is well. No worries.

One more note - I always find that there are much fewer reviews after a smut chapter. I'm not sure if that's because people are shy about it or what. I am not begging for reviews - you'll review if you feel like it, and I will appreciate it if you do. I just find it to be amusing. : ) Be warned - here in lies more smut. Very non-graphic with no scary words or explicit details. ; ) Maybe that's what more of you appreciate. Enjoy!

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><p>Chapter 5<p>

Cal woke up the following morning when the smell of bacon and eggs reached his nose. He inhaled deeply, stretched from head to toe, and finally cracked his eyes open. He looked over to where he assumed Gillian would be since he was still too tired to comprehend that someone was obviously up and cooking.

After seeing the spot next to him empty, he propped himself up against the headboard and rubbed his eyes. He looked around the room at the clothing scattered about and a slow smile spread across his face as he remembered the events of the night.

Detecting the distinct smell of coffee, he hopped out of bed and quickly noticed he was still naked. His smile grew wider and he searched the floor for the clothes Gillian had gotten out for him last night. He slipped on the sweatpants and elected to forget the shirt.

He quietly entered the kitchen to see Gillian standing in front of the stove, scrambling eggs with one hand while drinking a cup of coffee with the other. His eyes lazily drifted over her form that was loosely covered with a blue, silk robe. He licked his lips as his eyes dropped lower to her bare calves, and he slowly made his way toward her. Seeing that her coffee cup was nearly empty, he decided to take a chance at scaring her half to death and he slipped an arm around her middle.

"Oh!" Gillian startled at the unexpected contact. "Cal! Don't you see that I have coffee?"

"I see that you have what used to be coffee," he said as he stepped in closer to her, burying his face in the crook of her neck and inhaling deeply. He could never get enough of her smell. It was light and fruity, and so very Gillian.

"Well you're lucky I just finished this, or you'd be wearing it," she said while trying to sound stern. She failed miserably, of course. Cal's warm breath on her neck made her nearly forget everything around her, until she started to smell burning food.

"Oh!" she again yelled.

Cal stepped back and chuckled as he watched her toss her coffee cup aside and grab the pan off the counter. He never saw Gillian this flustered, and it was quite amusing.

"Can I help you with somethin' love?" he casually inquired.

"Yes, you can sit down," Gillian said, needing him to be as far away from her as possible while she tried to salvage the eggs. "Get yourself some coffee, and go sit down so I don't ruin the rest of our breakfast."

A satisfied smile crept across Cal's face as he walked past her to get some coffee. When he reached the other side of her, he stopped and reached up to gently tuck her hair behind her ear. He looked at the side of her face for a moment, and when she felt his eyes on her, she turned her head to look at him.

There in her kitchen, with a pan in one hand and a spatula in the other, Gillian saw the most affectionate look on Cal Lightman's face that she'd ever seen. A small smile played on her lips while she chewed the inside of her cheek as she locked eyes with him.

Cal laughed to himself, amused at the calm that had suddenly taken over Gillian, and returned her small smile with one of his own. He then stepped into her side, and with her hands still occupied, he reached up, held her face in both hands, and gave her the sweetest, most tender kiss she ever experienced.

Pulling away from her, Cal quietly said, "Good mornin'."

"Good morning," Gillian whispered back.

Releasing his hold on her, Cal poured himself some coffee, and took his cup to the table where he sat as he was told to do. Gillian watched all his movements until he came to rest on a chair at the table. He cradled his chin in his palm while his elbow rested on the table, patiently waiting and watching her.

She pulled herself from her reverie, made two plates, and took the food to the table.

"Looks great!" Cal said, realizing how hungry he was.

"Hopefully it tastes ok. I was planning on having it finished before you got up, but you sort of ruined that plan for me," she smirked at him, remembering how very warm he felt against her. It was then she noticed he wasn't wearing a shirt. How had she missed that little detail?

"Couldn't find a shirt amongst the mess on the floor?" she wondered aloud.

"No, I found it. Just chose not to put it on," he said pointedly, shoveling a forkful of eggs into his mouth.

"Mmm," was Gillian only response since she was having flashbacks to things that mouth had done the night before.

Cal raised his eyebrows at her. "Whatcha thinkin' 'bout?" he asked, knowing all too well where her mind had gone.

Figuring it was pointless to lie, she said, "Just thinking about your many talents," as she started to eat her breakfast as well.

"Oh yeah?" he said as he ate another forkful of eggs and slowly pulled the fork between his lips.

Gillian laughed at him and playfully shoved his shoulder, earning a smile from Cal.

"Yeah," she finally replied. "I had no idea you had it in you to be so romantic. Flowers, dinner, setting everything up without me knowing… It's all quite impressive."

"I think you'll find there's quite a lot you don't know about me, Gill," he said casually as if he had an alter-ego that she'd never met.

"Really? Like what?" she asked.

"Like all those things you just said," he replied.

"But I know that about you now," she said, narrowing her eyes at him. "Anything else I need to know?"

Cal shoved a piece of bacon in his mouth along with the last of his eggs and settled back into his chair, throwing an arm over the back of it so he was angled toward her.

"Nothin' you need to know. Might be things you'd be interested in knowin' though," he said casually.

She again narrowed her eyes at him. When he raised his eyebrows at her, she pushed her plate aside and leaned on the table toward him, her robe dropping dangerously far from her body. Cal resisted the urge to look down, but he couldn't resist the satisfied smile that spread across his face. Gillian did nothing to cover the cleavage that she knew was in full view. She was amazed that he kept his eyes fully on hers, especially since he'd seen it all last night anyway.

"So tell me," she said, wondering how long she could sit like this without his eyes wandering down. She leaned forward a little more, and she could see the effort it took for him to keep his eyes on hers. She smiled knowingly at him and sat up straight again in her chair, crossing her legs in front of him. "What is it you think I'd be interested to know about you?"

"For starters, I _love_ bacon and eggs," he said seriously.

Looking unimpressed, she replied, "That's not a secret, Cal."

"I didn't know we were tellin' secrets. I just thought we were statin' interestin' things that we didn't know about each other," he told her.

Gillian looked at him with a look that said, 'mmmhmmm…..' She grabbed both their plates and stood to take them to the sink.

Cal watched her walk away and said, "Alright. Truth this time, yeah?"

She looked over at him and said, "Ok. Go ahead."

He pulled his head to the side, indicating for her to come back over and sit down. She did as he silently asked and once again crossed her legs in front of her, this time sitting tall on the edge of the chair.

He leaned forward on the table so he was within several inches of her, his legs wide on either side of hers.

"I _hated_," he said with emphasis as he gestured with a hand, "seein' you with Burns."

Gillian pressed her lips together and looked down at the table. "Why do you keep bringing him up?" she asked as she looked back up at him.

Cal tipped his head to the side and said, "Because he posed a threat to me."

Gillian tipped her head slightly, waiting for clarification.

"I saw how you were with him, Gill. He set a standard that had never been there before. At least not that I'd seen." He paused and watched as she looked over his shoulder, silently thinking about what she once had.

"Be honest," he said, pulling her from her thoughts and her eyes back to him. "Were you in love with him?" He didn't really want to know the answer to that question. Truth be told, he already knew anyway; but he didn't want to hear it from her. He didn't want to know how high he was going to have to jump to get over the bar Burnsy had set.

Gillian stayed very level on the outside, but she couldn't help but wonder why he asked her that. She failed to see how it was relevant to anything that had happened between them in the last 24 hours.

"I think I was," she quietly replied, looking into his eyes for some explanation for his line of questions.

Cal nodded. "You know how bad it felt when he left?" he asked.

Gillian swallowed and nodded, becoming acutely aware of how close Cal was to her, every part of him just inches away from her; and suddenly her insides started to tremble with worry and fear.

As if he sensed her anxiety, he placed a hand over hers which were sitting in her lap. He gave them a small squeeze and ran his thumb over her soft skin.

"That's how I felt, every time I saw you with him or heard you talk about him. I felt like you were leavin', and there was nothin' I could do to make you come back," he told her, honesty seeping from every inch of him.

Her lips parted in silent question, but he continued. "I set all of that up last night without givin' you the opportunity to say no because I didn't think you'd take me seriously. I don't exactly give off the vibe of bein' a relationship kinda guy."

She chuckled at that. "No, you don't," she said with a smile.

"But I am," he stated, "for the right woman." He paused a moment, watching her eyes dance over his face as she astutely listened to him. "For you," he added.

She stopped breathing momentarily, not sure what to say back. Yes, they had slept together last night. Yes, they had a non-conversation about her calling him hunny. Yes, he was sitting in front of her with no shirt on. But all of that did not logically lead her to the place they were now. And yet, somehow, it all felt so right.

"What else?" she asked.

"What else?" he asked with disbelief. She hadn't even responded! "That isn't enough?"

"It could be, but I don't think that's all you wanted to tell me," she said as she licked her lips.

"Alright," he said, taking his hand back from hers. If she didn't know him so well, she'd have been worried; but it wasn't anger or rage flashing in his eyes. It was fire and passion. "You wanna know what else?" he challenged her.

"I do," she confirmed.

He leaned in even closer to her, his nose within inches of hers and she fought like hell to keep from smiling.

"I want you," he said with a nod and as serious a face that she'd ever seen. "I want you, and I don't want anyone else to have you. I never want another man to lay a finger on you, because I want you to be mine. I can't take it, Gill. I can't take it standin' in the background, waitin' around to see who's gonna realize how amazin' you are. I know you deserve more than me–"

Gillian furrowed her brow and opened her mouth to talk, but Cal raised a finger, silencing her before she got a chance to utter a sound.

"But I promise you that I'll love you more than any man ever could."

Her eyes went wide and he pulled his finger away from her lips, waiting for a verbal response from her.

She struggled with her mouth for a moment, failing to make any sound come out. Finally, she spoke.

"You…love me?" she asked tentatively.

"With all my heart," he promised. "I have for years."

Disbelief was written all over her face. "Why didn't you say something sooner?"

He shrugged, leaning back in his chair. "It's not somethin' that's easy to say. Especially when it's to someone you've known as long as we've known each other."

"How long?" she asked.

He shook his head and simply said, "_Years_."

She shook her head back at him, unable to believe that her business partner and best friend was sitting across from her shirtless and declaring his love for her.

She suddenly smirked, stood, and lowered herself onto his lap, straddling him and putting her hands on the back of the chair on either side of his head.

His hands automatically went to her waist, possessively holding her and still claiming her as his.

She looked down into his eyes and brought her hands to either side of his face. She ran her finger tips down his cheeks, down his neck, and over his shoulders. She brought them to rest on his chest and said barely above a whisper, "I love you, and I have for years."

She looked and felt as though she might cry. She couldn't believe that after all this time, all the lingering looks and too-close kisses on the cheek, that he felt something for her too. And not just something, but love.

And it felt so good to say those words. She'd been holding them captive in her throat for so long it was a wonder she hadn't choked on them. She felt such relief at finally admitting it, to herself and to him.

He reached up and ran his fingers through her hair, pulling her down to him in a kiss so passionate it almost instantly took their breath away. They pulled apart and he began kissing down her neck and chest until he met the material of her robe.

She was running her fingers through his hair when she suddenly pulled his head back so she could look at him. "What was with that 'missionary only kinda girl' question you asked last night?" she asked him.

"Just curious," he said with a shit-eating grin.

"Curious," she repeated.

"Yeah. A guy has to know what he's workin' with. I'd hate to flip you around or throw you up against a wall if you're not into that sorta thing."

Licking her lips she bent down next to his ear and said, "Try it and see."

The seduction in her voice caused him to instantly stiffen beneath her, and she rocked her hips against him in response.

A low groan escaped from deep in Cal's throat as she rolled her hips backward so she could stroke him through his sweatpants.

Pulling her close to him with one hand, he popped himself off the chair and yanked his pants down with the other. When they resettled he became aware that Gillian had on nothing beneath her robe and he cursed under his breath at the unexpected contact.

Gillian bit her lip and slid up and down his length as his hands made their way inside her robe to find her perfectly bare hips.

With one hand, he undid the sash that was keeping her covered, and then shoved the robe off her shoulders. It landed at her elbows and midway down her back since she replaced her hands on the back of the chair for stability.

Cal's eyes hungrily wandered down her body, now uncovered and in plain sight for his viewing.

Gillian pushed herself up on her toes to get high enough, and when she slid back down she completely sheathed him. His head lolled back against the chair as she fully took him in, and it jolted back up when she rocked against him once.

Smiling at him, she ran one hand through his hair and started rocking back and forth. His hands shot to her hips, gripping them as they moved, occasionally sneaking away to run up her back or through her hair. One eventually came to rest between her legs, rubbing gentle circles over her as she continued to rock against him.

When he felt her begin to close around him, his hands shot to her back, pulling her close to him as she moved against him a few more times, riding out her wave and pulling him over the edge with her. They ended in a full embrace, breathing heavily and both feeling satisfied that something beyond sex had just occurred.

Pulling back to look at him, Gillian ran a thumb over Cal's lips and said, "I love you, so much."

"I love you too," he replied as he ran a finger down her spine, causing shivers to erupt in her and her back to arch. "I'll take that as a no then," he added.

"No?" she asked, confused.

"No, you're not a missionary only kinda girl," he clarified.

Smirking at him, she replied, "Well, sex in a chair is hardly flipping me around or throwing me against a wall."

With a lick of his lips he promised, "Next time."

* * *

><p>I might be persuaded to add a 'not a missionary only kinda girl' chapter, if you guys want. If not, I think this is as good a stopping point as any. So you all let me know. If there are at least a few of you interested in it, I'll add one more chapter. If not, I've got a few more stories to tend to. ::rubs hands together and eagerly opens another new and interesting story::...<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Holy reviews! Per your many requests, here is a "not a missionary only kinda girl" chapter. ; ) And, there's a tiny bit of Torres thrown in there for lietomebaby. You're welcome. : D

This is the longest chapter I've written for any story. Hopefully it's not too long!

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><p>Two and a half days later Gillian walked into the office wearing a shirt that was cut a little lower, a skirt that was a little tighter, and heels that were a little taller than the average day. She triple-checked herself before leaving the house because she kept thinking she looked a little…slutty. It wasn't like her chest was on full display, and the skirt wasn't so tight that she couldn't walk, but it was quite out of character for her. In the end though, she decided that she'd had enough waiting; and if Cal wasn't going to make the next move, she was going to make him make the next move. <em>Next time<em>. His words kept ringing in her ears, and she'd had enough of it. Yes, today was going to be the day.

Walking into Cal's office, Gillian drew her shoulders back and said, "Good morning."

Cal looked up and said, "G–" That was all he got out before the image in front of him hit his eyes. "Hel-lo," he instead said. He raised his eyebrows as he took her in from head to toe – hair lying perfectly, eyes surrounded by light liner, lips slightly darkened, a gold necklace glistening against her skin, a red shirt that was begging to be unbuttoned, a black skirt that may as well have been painted on, and heels that sculpted her legs so well he nearly fell out of his chair.

"You got plans today?" he inquired, wondering what was with the sexy-as-hell outfit.

"Nope," she innocently said, pouting her lips as she kicked one foot back, putting her toe on the floor and rocking her foot back and forth.

"Well I don't know what this is about," he said as he stood and walked toward her, "but you are the sexiest thing I've seen. Ever. In my entire life."

Biting her lip, she laughed at him knowingly while lust filled her eyes.

Licking his lips Cal said, "You know, we've probably got a little time…"

Moving closer to him and running her tongue over her teeth, she whispered with a smile, "Next time."

"Oh, I see. That's what this is all about, then?" he asked with a smirk. When she only smirked back at him, he added, "Alright then. Em's at a friend's for the night. You come to my place after work, yeah?"

"You got it," she said and spun around to leave. Wanting to torture him as much as possible for making her wait nearly three full days, she slowly left his office, swaying her hips more than usual.

Cal nearly forgot to breathe as he watched her walked away, finally letting out a long breath once she was out of view. "This…is gonna be a long day," he said to himself.

###############

Half way through the day and most of the way through their case, the bosses and their protégés were in the lab going over the last few videos pertaining to the case at hand.

Loker couldn't help himself. He found it nearly impossible to keep his eyes off Gillian, especially since she was standing in front of him. She kept crossing her arms and shifting her weight from leg to leg, ever so slightly swaying back and forth. And he wasn't positive, but he was sure the furnace was on the fritz because it was becoming incredibly hot and he found himself wishing he'd worn a short-sleeved shirt.

Torres smacked him on the back of the head as she walked up to him, causing him to give her an evil glare. Before he could speak, she said, "If you don't knock it off, you'll be getting much worse." She looked in Cal's direction and Loker followed her eyes to find a very angry pair of orbs giving him the death stare. Fear registered on every feature of Loker, and he decided to check out the floor. Certainly there was something interesting down there…

Torres walked up to Gillian and pretended to be interested in the video. "Do you really believe this guy thought he could get away with it? I mean, it was so obvious."

"I honestly don't know what he was thinking. He's looking at at least three felonies, probably more." Gillian shook her head in disbelief at the naivety of some people.

"Yeah, his act was about as subtle as – oh, I don't know – a complete wardrobe change in order to get someone's attention," she said as coolly as possible, never taking her eyes off the screen.

Gillian slowly turned her head to look at Torres, who was smirking and looking very proud of herself.

"Is that supposed to mean something to me, Ria?" she asked, hoping for both their sakes she was smart enough not to go any further with her observations.

Turning to look at Gillian with satisfaction sparkling in her eyes, Torres said, "No. Why would it?"

Gillian nodded her head and refocused on the screen.

"It's about time though," Torres added before quickly walking away to her desk.

Gillian bit her lip and turned around to see Loker smiling at her, leaning back in his chair and clicking a pen.

Cal, who had honed in on the exchange between the two women said aloud, "Time to head home then?"

Shocked, Gillian said, "Unbelievable!" and exited the lab, hoping to make it back to her office before anyone else decided to put in their two cents.

"Right. We'll see you Monday then!" Cal shouted over his shoulder with a suggestive look as he followed Gillian down the hall.

Gillian, knowing Cal was right behind her, waited just inside her office to close the door behind him.

"They know!" she half-shouted.

"Well of course they know, Gil. They're paid to observe things, to notice things people don't tell them. That's they're job, and they're damn good at it," he explained. "Besides, your outfit would've given that away on it's own."

Looking irritated and ready to go off, Cal continued, "Doesn't matter though. They would've known anyway." Walking closer to her and sliding his hands around her waist he said, "Besides, have I mentioned that you look incredibly sexy?"

Feeling herself melt at his touch and his words she said, "I suggest we leave now, or this whole plan is going up in smoke."

"Off we go!" he said as he moved back toward the door. "Can't have you waitin' anymore now can we? You get a bit on edge when things don't go according to your schedule it seems."

"What schedule?" she asked with her eyes wide. "Four nights ago we had the most amazing sex I've ever had. The morning after that, you told me you love me and we made love on one of my dining room chairs. I'll never look at that chair the same, I'll have you know. And you've hardly touched me since. Almost three whole days have gone by and we've been so busy that I've been lucky to get a kiss out of you, so excuse me if I'm a little on edge!"

Walking back toward her, Cal put his hands on either side of her neck, his thumbs resting against her cheeks, and he pulled her into a heart-stopping, startlingly sweet kiss. Pulling back to look at her he said, "I do love you."

"I know," she said. "I love you too. Please take me home."

Cal gave her one more kiss and ushered her out the door.

###############

Cal pulled in his driveway with Gillian right behind him. He pulled in the garage while she parked in the driveway, and by the time he got parked and out of the car, she was waiting for him at the door.

He unlocked it and as soon as it was open, he grabbed her by the waist, pulled her inside, and closed and locked the door behind them. His quick movements startled her and sent her into a fit of laughter, which quickly subsided as he took the purse from her hands and threw it on the floor, followed shortly by him pressing his lips against hers in a hungry kiss which he easily deepened when he pressed his hips into hers, causing her to moan into his mouth.

Gillian's hands automatically went to his shirt and started undoing buttons, while his went down to her skirt, attempting to see just how tight the fabric was. Verdict – very tight. He instead paralleled her movements and went for her shirt, which he remembered had been begging him all day to be ripped open. So he did just that, sending buttons flying in all directions, something he thought would probably irritate her, but instead she copied him. She thought, _To hell with this. If he's going to rip my shirt off, I'll do the same._ She yanked at the fabric and the last few buttons flew away to join hers.

Loving the aggressiveness that he had no idea was lurking inside her, Cal growled in approval and released his arms from his shirt while she did the same. They collided together again as they threw their shirts, hers landing on the counter, his in the sink.

Grabbing her hips, Cal directed her through the house toward the stairs. When she felt the bottom step against her feet, she turned and ran up them, laughing the whole way as Cal tried to get a hold of her zipper.

Stopping near the top, Gillian leaned over so her hands were on the top step and she was bent over in front of Cal, allowing him access to the zipper he'd been after.

Slightly out of breath, Cal took the moment to slow things down from the frenzy that had occurred near the door. He placed his hands on the back of her legs just above her knees and slowly ran them up her legs and over the skirt since there was no getting inside. Reaching her ass, he spread his hands out to feel as much of it as possible, and Gillian smiled widely.

He finally reached for the zipper and pulled it down just in time for Gillian to bolt away from him again. He was quicker this time though and he caught her midway down the hallway, once again laughing and herself out of breath.

He pressed his body against hers in an effort to keep her still and slid her skirt to the floor. Gillian kicked it away while Cal looked down to see a matching set of deep purple underwear gracing her body.

"A thong?" he asked, slightly surprised.

"You can't have panty lines in a skirt like that," she said as if he should know.

"Can't argue with that logic," he said.

Sliding his hands down her body as he watched her eyes darken, he took hold of her thighs and lifted her up, pressing her into the wall and putting her legs over his hips.

She easily hooked her feet around him, looping her arms around his neck as his hands moved further up her legs.

Knowing his hands were occupied, she took his chin in one hand and turned him to face her, kissing him passionately as he walked them down the hall. Upon entering his room, he kicked that door closed as well, just to be safe, and found a new wall to hold her against.

Needing air, he pressed his knees into the wall, allowing her to sit on his lap while he undid his belt and pants. Gillian bit her lip when he freed himself and she started to quiver with excitement. Cal expertly hiked her up again and allowed his pants and boxers to fall to the floor, stepping out one leg at a time and kicking them aside.

Looking over at the discarded clothing, Gillian said, "Impressive."

"You like that?" he asked with a cocky grin.

"Mmhmm," she confirmed with a nod.

"Bet you'll like this more," he said as he reached under her to pull her panties aside.

With a tip of his hips and a small adjustment of her against the wall, he easily slid into her. Gillian gasped at the sudden fullness between her legs. Her eyes went wide, her legs tightened around him, and her fingers began to curl into his biceps. One thrust had her entire body wrapped tightly around his. Two thrusts had her writhing against him and calling out his name. Three thrusts had her in complete ecstasy.

They continued their vertical dance until Cal's legs began to shake. At that point, he walked her to the bed, and laid her down as gently as possible. He smoothly slid her panties off, and gently reentered her, sending chills up her spine.

Pumping into her several times, he leaned back, took her left ankle, and crossed it in front of his body, putting her feet together on her right side so her hips were turned. Cal slowly pulled back then pushed in, watching as her eyes rolled back at the new sensation.

He let out a low groan from the back of his throat and she agreed with a, "That feels so good."

Then, he withdrew from her completely, causing Gillian to whimper in disapproval.

"Down," he said, licking his lips.

"Down?" she asked, still lying in the same position, not knowing what he wanted.

"Down," he confirmed. "Put your feet down on the floor."

Having her hips already half way there, Gillian continued to flip over and pushed herself off the bed far enough that her feet met the carpet. She then walked her feet forward until her knees hit the bed and pushed herself up on her arms, much like she was on the stairs, her heart beating wildly in her chest.

Cal ran a hand up her spine, flipping open the clasp to her bra that she immediately threw across the room. Every ounce of her being was pulsing with the beat of her heart, just waiting for him to make contact again. She always wondered about this position, but since he was hardly touching her, she started to not like that she couldn't see him.

Suddenly feeling like this was perhaps a little advanced for their new relationship, Cal gently laid a hand on her waist. Gillian sighed for the contact, relieved that he hadn't quit on her.

"Do you wanna do this, Gil?" He was feeling unsure, like maybe he was pressuring her into this.

She rocked her hips backwards, causing them to connect and Cal's eyes to close. Gillian moaned at the once again new contact and breathlessly said, "Does that answer your question?"

He replied by positioning himself at her entrance and cautiously pressing into her. Gillian grabbed two fistfuls of sheets so hard she thought she might tear the fabric. Cal pulled back and gently pushed into her as far as possible, causing Gillian to burry her face in the mattress as she cried out.

Placing his hands on her hips for leverage, Cal established a slow, steady rhythm that did nothing to stop Gillian from crying out an unknown pattern of Cal's name mixed with yes's, calls to a deity, and low moans.

Her sounds spurred Cal on, ramping up his speed and intensity until he knew he was close.

"Flip over," he grunted out.

"What?" she asked, completely out of breath from being so vocal and not believing he wanted her to give up the sensation she was currently having.

"Flip!" he instructed. "I don't want to finish lookin' at the back of your head, love."

Thinking that made perfect sense, Gillian lurched forward on the bed, pulling herself from around him. He scrambled to her and quickly reestablished his movements while placing a hand between her legs so he could bring her with him.

Just as he was about to give her some audible encouragement, he felt her walls close firmly around him, throttling him off a cliff in an orgasm so intense he found himself having to remember to breathe.

Looking in his eyes and running a hand over his face, she could feel him pulsing long after she thought he'd finished. Eventually, he exhaled on a gravely groan, signaling his completeion.

"Oh…my…" he started.

"I know," she interrupted him, looking completely spent. "That was one hell of a workout."

Cal managed a half smile. "If that counts as a workout, I wanna exercise with you every day."

Gillian smiled and patted his arm, closing her eyes and letting her head fall to the side.

Cal leaned down and kissed her on the check, brushing a lock of hair away from her eyes. He slowly withdrew from her, and Gillian rolled to her side, curling up. Cal reached for the covers and pulled them up around them, scooting up behind her and pulling her close.

Gillian hummed in approval, teetering on the edge of sleep, and Cal whispered in her ear, "I love you too."

###############

An hour later, Cal woke to find Gillian next to him, staring at the ceiling deep in thought. She looked rested so he assumed she'd napped for a little while. He placed a small kiss on her shoulder, letting her know he was awake. She turned her head toward him and smiled at him.

Cal noticed something was slightly off. Her smile was genuine enough, but something wasn't quite right.

"Good nap?" he asked.

She turned so she was on her back and continued looking at the ceiling. "Yeah," she said as she sank further into his bed. "You?"

"Very good," he replied, loving the look of her snuggled up naked in his bed. "What's on your mind?"

She turned her head and looked at him for a moment before answering. " I just… I'm not sure…" Not fully knowing what she wanted to say, she momentarily looked back up at the ceiling before rolling on her side to face him. He rolled over to face her as well, both of them resting on their pillows as Cal took hold of her hand. She smiled sweetly, entwining their fingers together.

Finally she spoke again. "It really doesn't bother you that they know?"

"No. Why would it? It's not like we have to answer to our bosses about what's goin' on," he casually said.

"Have you even talked to Emily?" she asked.

Narrowing his eyes slightly he said, "Not yet."

She turned her eyes down and looked at their hands while she chewed her bottom lip. "Why?" she asked.

"I dunno," he told her honestly. "She's been a bit crazy with school, and we hadn't talked about tellin' anyone. Would you like me to tell her?"

She replied by saying, "I think that would only be fair since our employees already know."

"Good point. Is that really all this is about? Or does it also have to do with our lull?" he wondered aloud.

"It's a lot of things, but the lull certainly was…confusing," she said, finally looking up at him again.

"Don't doubt this," he said. "This isn't casual to me. I take it quite seriously. And if tellin' Em will help, I will. She should know anyway. I just didn't know if you were ready to tell anyone."

"I am," she said quietly.

"Good," he told her with a smile. "Why don't you stay for dinner? She'll be home in a few hours and we can tell her then."

"Ok," she simply replied.

"What else?" he asked, gently encouraging her to continue.

Shaking her head, she said, "Nothing."

"Liar," he countered.

"It's really nothing, Cal," she assured him.

"If it's nothin', then there's no reason not to tell me," he replied.

With a sigh and a roll of her eyes, knowing he wasn't going to give it up, she said, "I…." She sighed loudly, not believing she was about to say this. She felt like a teenage girl. "I really missed you the last couple days. I know I get to see you at work, but there are always people around and each night I went home to an empty house, and I just–"

Cal leaned in to kiss her, silencing her rambling. Gillian bit her lip when they broke apart, knowing she probably sounded like a clingy, needy woman.

"Stay the night," he said.

"But Emily–" she started.

"Will know everything at dinner," he finished for her. "She's a big girl, Gil. Trust me, she'll be excited." Cal's mind flashed back to Emily asking him if he loved Gillian, and he smiled. "She'll be really happy," he promised.

He seemed sure of himself, so she agreed but said, "Only if you first let me go home to get some different clothes. I am not having dinner with Emily dressed like _that_."

"Why not?" he teasingly inquired. "You worked all day like that."

"Yes, and my mission has been accomplished. So now I would like some regular clothes," she countered.

Cal hopped out of bed, and Gillian couldn't help but take the opportunity to look him over. Seeing her eye him, he reached over and yanked the covers off her so he could return the favor. Laughing at him, Gillian rolled out of bed and began the task of gathering her clothes. It was then she realized her only shirt had been ruined.

"Guess you're goin' on like that then," he said as he looked at her wearing her skirt and bra.

"Cal! Give me a shirt," she half demanded.

"This is a good look for you, Gil. You can really pull it off." He moved toward her, running a finger over her waistline before she smacked him in the arm and headed toward his closet to find herself something to wear.

"Wouldn't be the first time I had to finish something a man failed to finish himself," she called over her shoulder.

"Never with me, darlin'!" he promised from his dresser.

She pulled a blue dress shirt from its hanger, putting it on and rolling up the sleeves, buttoning it as she walked back out.

"I'm going to hold you to that," she told him.

"Please do," he said, sadly watching as she buttoned the last of the shirt. Smirking at him, she undid two buttons at the top of the shirt, earning a grin from Cal.

"Are you coming with me?" she asked.

"You're not leavin' my sight for the rest of the weekend," Cal promised, realizing it was Friday and that Emily would again be leaving the following night.

"Then let's go!" she called over her shoulder as she exited the bedroom. She stopped halfway down the hall, then turned around and said, "Wait. Weekend?"

"Stay til Monday," he requested.

"We'll see," she said with a glint in her eye as she turned again to leave.

* * *

><p>There will now be one more chapter with Emily in it. I wasn't planning on it, but this story has taken on a life of it's own! If anyone else has any requests or ideas, feel free to share.<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Sorry for the shortness. I should have broken things up a bit differently between the last chapter and this one, but I didn't know that til it was too late! This is the last chapter, so I hope you enjoy.

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><p>Several hours later, with Gillian wearing jeans and a blue blouse, Emily walked in the house and called out, "I'm home!" and having seen the familiar vehicle in the driveway, she immediately asked, "Is Gillian here?"<p>

"Hi Em! In the den!" Cal called out to her.

As soon as Gillian heard the backdoor, she scooted away from Cal on the couch, earning a dissatisfied look from him. His side felt suddenly cold from where she'd been snuggled up, and he pouted at her, as much as Cal Lightman pouts, as she settled in her new position.

"Just until she knows," Gillian quietly promised, maintaining a cool demeanor even as she started to feel anxious.

Knowing there was nothing he could say to make her come back to sit with him, he repositioned himself into the corner of the couch to get comfortable.

Seeing Gillian was there, Emily tried to stifle a smile as she wondered if her dad had finally found the courage to tell her how he felt.

"How was your test? Get all your studyin' done?" Cal asked before she could speak.

"The test was fine," she said as she threw her bag in the hallway. "Hey Gil," she added as she sat in the chair next to her.

"Hi Emily," she greeted the girl.

"So, what's going on?" Emily asked, curiosity getting the best of her. When Cal shot her a "behave" look, she smirked and said, "It smells good. Are you staying for dinner?"

"Well I live here, so," Cal said with a shrug.

Emily gave him an annoyed expression and said, "I was talking to Gillian, obviously, Dad. But you can leave if you want. I don't think either of us would complain."

_If you only knew_, Cal thought. He raised his eyebrows at her and looked to Gillian for a response. "How 'bout it, Gil? You care if I leave? Don't lie now. Em's a buddin' natural in our field."

Flaring her nostrils, Gillian casually replied, "You promised to make me dinner, and if you leave that's going to be pretty difficult. So I think you better at least stay until your promise is fulfilled."

Cal smiled at her, thinking that was a pretty clever response. "Alright then, it's about finished anyway," he said as he stood to go check the oven.

"How have you been, Em?" Gillian asked.

"Good," she replied. "Busy with school. I had a big test today and I have a couple papers due next week. Plus I'm filling out college and scholarship applications. So, you know – busy."

Gillian nodded and said, "Your dad was telling me a while back you wanted to go to school out of state."

"Yeah. I'm not sure where I'm going. I hate to leave him alone, you know?" That was true, but Emily was fishing again and she couldn't help it.

"I wouldn't worry about him," Gillian said with a small smile. "You need to go to the school that's right for you. It's the stepping stone to everything else you want to do in life, so make the choice that's right for you."

"Oiy!" Cal chimed in. "Don't fill her head with that rubbish. You need very much to worry about me. Who's supposed to make sure I stay somewhat in line if you're not around, Em?"

Smiling as she stood, Emily said, "Gillian's always done a good job of that." Then as she walked away she added, "Or maybe you need a girlfriend!"

Cal watched Gillian's eyes go wide as Emily's comments hit their ears, and she asked him, "Are you sure she doesn't know?"

Reaching out a hand to her so she'd follow him to the kitchen, Cal said, "She's a smart one. Probably figured it out."

After they all sat down at the table with their plates, Emily suggestively said, "It's nice having dinner together like this."

Gillian looked at Cal from the corner of her eye, thinking that was as good a lead in as any.

"Funny you should say that, Em," he started.

"Oh my gosh! Did you finally tell her?" Emily blurted out with her eyes wide.

Gillian furrowed her brow in confusion. "Finally tell me what?" she asked.

"Oh. You didn't?" Emily asked, looking worriedly at her dad.

Both females, looking somewhat petrified and very perplexed, looked to Cal for explanation.

Rubbing his chin with the backs of his fingers as he looked between them, he said, "Em – yes, I did tell her. And Gil – Em didn't know we were together, but I may have mentioned to her that I love you." Gillian's stomach flipped. Hearing those words from Cal was still very new, and hearing him say it in front of another person was something new altogether.

"You didn't mention it," Emily said to Cal, and then said to Gillian, "I asked him, and he admitted it." Then to both of them she asked with eager eyes, "So you're 'together' together?"

Gillian was sitting in somewhat stunned silence, so Cal answered, "We are."

"Since when?" Emily asked Gillian, clearly very excited.

Finally getting over the shock of Emily knowing Cal was in love with her before she did, Gillian smiled and said, "Valentine's Day."

"Awww!" Emily squealed. "That's so sweet. I knew you had it in you, Dad."

Cal only smiled at Gillian, happy he'd finally gone through with telling her how he felt, and even happier that she felt the same way.

"So, you knew?" Gillian asked Emily.

"Yeah. Like I said, I asked him. And like he said, I am a budding natural in your field, so even if he would have lied to me I would've known. It's kind of hard to dodge a direct question in this house."

Gillian nodded in agreement – there was no getting out of answering a question in Cal's house. It didn't matter who asked it.

"So, when did you ask him?" Gillian inquired.

Emily pressed her lips together and said a little more quietly, "Right after Claire."

Inhaling, Gillian again nodded and looked to Cal. He gave her a small smile and reached for her hand, causing a sweet smile to spread across Emily's face. She couldn't remember the last time she saw her dad look at someone like that, or if she ever had.

"Well I'm really happy for you guys. I can't believe it took so long," Emily stated. Then, with a mischievous look laced in her features, she asked, "Are you staying the weekend?"

There was no way Gillian could hide the embarrassed smile that spread across her face. "I'm not sure," she replied.

"You might as well. I'm only home til tomorrow afternoon. I'll be gone tomorrow night and most of Sunday," Emily explained with a suggestive look.

"Are you givin' Gillian and myself permission to have run of the house?" Cal asked.

Gillian's eyes went wide and Emily said, "Ok, Dad. That's enough." Then, changing the subject, Emily said, "I need to get started on my papers." She stood from her chair as Cal did the same and started clearing their dishes.

They all walked into the kitchen, and as Emily headed up the stairs she genuinely said, "I'm really happy for you guys."

After Emily was out of sight, Cal turned to Gillian and said, "I told you."

Gillian took in a deep breath and slowly let it out, thankful that dinner was over and Emily now knew.

Cal set the dishes in the sink and walked over to Gillian. He put his hands on her waist, pulling her into the warmth of his body. She put her arms around his neck and immediately melted into their hug, resting the sides of their heads together as Cal slowly ran his hands over her arms.

"What do you say we make it a movie night? Pop some popcorn and cuddle up on the couch?" He moved his head slightly so he could get a small glimpse of her at his question.

Centering in front of him, she pretended to give it some thought and said, "That sounds great."

He placed a quick kiss on her lips and resumed their embrace, inhaling her scent as he said, "I can't wait to spend time with you."

Furrowing her brow, she replied, "What do you think we've been doing today?"

"Spendin' time," he said. "But everythin's different now. Now when I walk in a room and see you, regardless of who's there, I can walk right over and kiss you or hug you or whatever I feel like."

"You should hold the 'or whatever I feel like' for now," she said with a laugh.

Giving her a cheeky grin, he told her, "I promise to behave, at least for a little while."

"That's all I ask," she said with a slow, sultry kiss. "And I promise to reward good behavior."

"Is that right?" he asked, pressing his hips into hers.

Licking her lips she whispered to him, "Definitely, but right now we should take care of the dishes so we can have our movie night."

"Couldn't agree more," Cal said as he gave her one more quick kiss, thinking they were in for a very good weekend.

* * *

><p>THE END<p> 


End file.
